Reference no: EM133651856

Question

What is great about this discussion? Dolphins are mammals that are capable of swimming very fast underwater. The ability to swim fast is attributed to the flexibility of the dolphin and its body stability. The differences among the interactions of the vertebrae is what contributes to the flexibility and body stability of dolphins. The study I found on locomotive styles of dolphins observed four different species of dolphins that were sympatrically isolated. The authors used various technologies including 3D geometric morphometric techniques to study the mechanics of dolphin locomotion. The study found several differences between the dolphin species' vertebrae, especially differences in the middle sections. The authors concluded that species of dolphins with more complex lifestyles and feeding patterns/habitats had more morphological features that contribute to flexibility than dolphin species with less complex behaviors and feeding patterns/habitats. This type of locomotion probably evolved through the differences in behaviors and feeding patterns since the results of this study showed that morphological features were more prominent in dolphin species with more complex feeding patterns and behaviors.